3DTV is the television that transmits the perception of depth to the viewer using techniques such as stereoscopic display, multi-view viewing, 2D-plus-depth or any other form of 3D visualization. Most modern 3D TVs use a 3D active shutter system or a polarized 3D system, and some are autostereoscopic without the need for glasses. 3D TV will be discontinued in 2017 due to low consumer demand. LG and Sony were the last manufacturers to build the product. However, only 4K 3D capable TVs still exist.
The stereoscope was invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1838. It was shown that when two images are seen stereoscopically, they are combined by the brain to produce the perception of 3D depth. The stereoscope was enhanced by Louis Jules Duboscq, and a famous picture of Queen Victoria was exhibited at the Great Exhibition in 1851. In 1855 the Kinematoscope was invented. In the late 1890s, the pioneer of the British film William Friese-Greene presented a patent for a 3D film process. On June 10, 1915, Edwin S. Porter and William E. Waddell, former director of Edison Studios, presented evidence in red-green anaglyph to an audience at the Astor Theater in New York and in 1922 the first public 3D film The Power of Love unfolded.
Stereoscopic 3D television was first demonstrated on August 10, 1928, by John Logie Baird at his company's facilities in 133 Long Acre, London. Baird pioneered a variety of 3D television systems using electromechanical and cathode ray tube techniques. The first 3D TV was produced in 1935, and stereoscopic 3D cameras for personal use had become quite common during World War II. Many 3D movies were produced to be released in the United States during the 1950s, just as television became popular. The first film of this type was Bwana Devil from United Artists that could be seen throughout the United States in 1952. A year later, in 1953, came the 3D film House of Wax, which also featured stereo sound. Alfred Hitchcock produced his movie Dial M for Murder in 3D, but for the purpose of maximizing profits, the film was released in 2D because not all cinemas could display 3D movies. In 1946 the Soviet Union also developed films in 3D, with Robinzon Kruzo being its first complete film in 3D. People were excited to watch 3D movies, but they were left with their poor quality. Because of this, its popularity declined rapidly. There was another attempt in the 1970s and 1980s to make 3D movies more popular with the releases of Friday the 13th (Part III) (1982) and Jaws 3-D (1983). 3D presentations became more popular throughout the 2000s, culminating in the success of 3D presentations of Avatar in December 2009 and January 2010.
Although 3D movies were generally well-received by the public, 3D television did not become popular until after the CES 2010 fair, when major manufacturers began selling a full line of 3D TVs. According to DisplaySearch, 3D television shipments totaled 41.45 million units in 2012, compared with 24.14 in 2011 and 2.26 in 2010. By the end of 2013, the number of 3D TVs began to decline, and from of 2016, the development of 3D TV is limited to some premium models.